“I’m sorry to hear that. ”
She took her time cutting her salad. She was very meticulous about it, cutting each piece into nearly identical sizes. “How about you? Why banking?”
Obviously, the conversation about her mother was over. He took a moment to follow her lead and cut his salad.
“It’s a family business. Something it was always assumed I’d do. ”
“Is it what you really want to do?” Questioning eyes met his. “If you could do anything, what would it be?”
He chuckled. “What do I want to be when I grow up?”
“Something like that. ”
“Outside of the fact that I’m thirty-five, I suppose when I grow up, I just want to know I’ve changed the world for the better. ”
She muttered something under her breath, but all he could make out was “no wonder” and “pants. ”
“What?”
“Nothing, just something Sasha said. ”
Their conversation flowed smoothly throughout dinner. Julie proved to be witty and warm, a delightful combination. But as she talked about what she’d done to reach her goals, and the obstacles she’d overcome, she also showed him a will of iron. Her father had left when her sister was born. After her mother died, she’d worked two jobs while going to school. Somehow, she and Sasha had secured a loan for the shop and turned it into a successful business. He had a strong desire to bend that will of hers to his own, to show her what it was like to have someone protect her and take care of what she needed.
Careful, he told himself.
He had succeeded in arranging for one of the leading oncologists in melanoma to speak at the benefit, and for months he had been looking forward to the event. But sitting next to Julie close enough to hear her breathing and smell her orange scent made listening as the speaker went on and on about biomarkers almost more than his patience could bear.
When the gentleman wrapped up his speech, Daniel
joined the audience in a standing ovation, but the truth was he already couldn’t remember what had been said and he clapped only because the talk was over. Julie was up on her feet beside him. She leaned her head near his.
“What a fascinating speech,” she whispered.
“I only heard every third word. ”
She laughed, but he lifted an eyebrow to let her know he wasn’t joking.
They sat back down and chatted with their table companions while the orchestra set up. The local hospital’s chief of staff was seated across from Julie and she quickly became deeply engaged in conversation with him about ongoing research at the hospital. He was so impressed by how relaxed she seemed, despite the heady dignitaries she spoke with. All her questions were intelligent, and her tone was confident and friendly. Apparently, making her own way in the world as she had was its own reward.
When the first notes sounded from the nearby violin, the executive excused himself and took his wife’s hand.
“She always insists on dancing the first dance,” he explained.
Daniel waited until the older couple made it to the dance floor. Then he stood and held out his hand to Julie. “Dance with me?”
She didn’t hesitate, but silently took his hand and came to her feet.
For the most part, Daniel could take dancing or leave it. He would join in when the situation called for it. Other times, he would sit out and people-watch. But tonight, outside of wanting to hold Julie, he had another purpose in asking her to dance.
You could tell a lot of information about a person by the way she danced. There were the obvious things: grace and agility. But Daniel was looking for more from Julie.
They settled themselves onto the dance floor, one of her arms around his shoulder, her other hand held gently in his. He slipped his free arm around her waist and pulled her close. As he began to move, she followed.
“Thank you for coming with me tonight,” he said.
She settled farther into his arms. “Thanks for the invite. ”
“Can you do dinner next week?” He had the group meeting Thursday night and the play party Friday night, but he was free on Saturday.
“Yes. ” She smiled up at him as she answered.
They could work out the details later. For the moment, he only wanted to hold her. She was an astute dancer, following his lead, her body answering his movements. It told him what he had been looking for, and now it was far too easy to picture her body answering his in a much more intimate manner. Would she be as pliable in bed? Dare he hope?
He wanted to ask if she was staying the night at the hotel, but he didn’t want to come across as a jerk who only wanted her for one thing. The truth was, he didn’t just want to go to bed with her; he wanted to get to know her. For now, he would ignore the side of himself that whispered it would do him no good to get to know her if she didn’t share his sexual desires.
He had dated so-called vanilla women before. It was adequate. Filled some of his needs. But he knew that it could never be truly satisfying to him unless his sexual partner genuinely submitted to him. At least in the bedroom.
The woman in his arms might test that need. If they continued on their current path and he found himself even more attracted to her . . .
Well, that was something they would have to explore later.
“You seem far away all of a sudden. ”
Yes, he had been and that was a travesty with such a remarkable woman so close. “Forgive me?”
She pulled back slightly and gave a sly smile. “Maybe. If you make it up to me. ”
Forget about getting to know her better. When she teased him like that, all he could think about was dragging her off the dance floor and taking her upstairs.
He risked sliding his hand a bit lower down her body so his fingers brushed the top of her ass, and pulled her toward his groin. “Don’t start something you’re not ready to finish. ”
“I’m not a tease. ”
“Didn’t think you were, just wanted you to know you’re playing with fire. ”